It has been announced that Criterion, as part of its new Eclipse series, is releasing a Kurosawa collection that gathers some of the director’s less available works from the immediate post-war period. The stylished box set will contain the movies I Live in Fear (aka Record of a Living Being), The Idiot, No Regrets for Our Youth, One Wonderful Sunday, and Scandal.
This is excellent news for those in Region 1, as none of these films have yet had a proper release under the region code. In fact, with the retail price tag of only $69.95 (reduced to $55.96 at the Criterion Store), the release is well worth considering also for everyone else. Not least so because two of the films, One Wonderful Sunday and No Regrets for Our Youth, are arguably now enjoying their first proper English-friendly DVD releases in any region!
As the price of the release suggests, these films will clearly not be receiving the famous “Criterion-treatment” that we have recently enjoyed with such brilliant releases as Seven Samurai, Yojimbo and Sanjuro. Criterion’s Eclipse series concentrates on presenting what they call “overshadowed classics” in “simple, affordable editions”. Do not, therefore, expect hordes of extras or state-of-the-art restoration. Yet, knowing the quality standards that Criterion sets for itself, it is almost certain that these releases have been made from the best materials available.
As for the release date, I have no confirmation yet as for when exactly the box set will be out. One source suggests January, but considering that the Eclipse release philosophy is to put out one box set each month, and that the current box set (Carlos Saura’s Flamenco Trilogy) is number #6, with Kurosawa #7, a November or December release would seem more likely. I will get back to you once Criterion confirms one way or another. according to Criterion the box set will be on sale from January 15, 2008.
with the addition of these five and Drunken Angel, the good DVD count in the U.S. is somewhere around 25. It is almost time to start a list/count of movies that are left for release on DVD